To ask if it's worth ringing 111?

[RudolphTheGreat]

Major gp shortage at my surgery means econsult had already closed by 9am and I'm not sure if I need checking out or not.

I had covid 3 wks ago, was off work a week but after that 99% better but had a lingering cough. The cough was beginning to clear this week but on Sat i woke feeling horrific, slept all day and the cough came back with a vengeance.

Yesterday I felt slightly better as in I didn't sleep all day, but spent the day in bed and the cough is horrid. I barely slept last night despite being tired and was up at 3am putting the heating on as the cold air was irritating my cough so much. We don't usually have the heating on overnight and it was much warmer last night compared to the previous week.

i feel awful but not in any specific way apart from the cough. I don't want to be waiting hours for 111 if I don't need to be seen, but on the other hand I'm never physically ill and never seek gp advice so must be feeling rough to even consider it and i don't want to get worse or be I'll over Christmas if they can do something to help. Is there any easy way to tell if I need antibiotics or it's all viral?

How about doing 111 online?

I'm not sure of the answer but I was in exactly the same position last week but only a week after having COVID and I eventually got prescribed antibiotics which massively helped. I was definitely developing a nasty chest infection though. Absolute nightmare trying to get this checked. I managed to get a face to face appt at GP on Wednesday where I was seen by a trainee paramedic who said I should be able to shake it on my own but come back on Friday if no better. Friday I was finding it harder to breath and chest rattling when I breathed in and I felt terrible so I phoned GP back. Doctor called me back in the afternoon and could hear the rattling so sent me a text code for antibiotics prescription in case i needed to go round multiple pharmacies. Luckily my local one had the tablets. Felt almost instantly better after a couple of doses.

I think if it feels like a secondary chest infection you might want to try to get antibiotics as that is going to be bacterial I think if you are developing one?. I could definitely tell, even though I've never had a chest infection as it was really rattly and I couldn't clear what felt like a lump in my chest. Persistent cough could just be the tail end of COVID though if no chest pain/trouble breathing? I caught is from my son I think who has only just stopped coughing now after about 5 weeks.

If you were feeling better and now are feeling worse I would call 111. They should make an appointment for someone to listen to your chest. My shortness of breath and cough post Covid required inhalers and steroids. DH had pneumonia with it and then a pulmonary embolism and had antibiotics, steroids and blood thinners.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/chest-infection/

I did that and it said to ring 😂

I don’t know where you are, but I know that in Scotland, once the GP practices are open 111 can’t make you an appointment anywhere, other than refer you to A&E. Have you had an accident, or is this an emergency? If not, I’d say call your GP practice and ask for a phone consultation and go from there.

I realise it may be totally different in England, NI or Wales though.

Where we are (London) no-one I know has been able to get a GP appointment or through to 111 for weeks. We've all been referred to pharmacists.

Lucky for me I knew I needed antibiotics and the pharmacist at the GP surgery was able to send a prescription.
Not so lucky for the parent who doesn't know whether her child's symptoms are Strep A. She's left with having to wait to see if he gets worse and then waiting in A&E.

I haven't seen a NHS GP for 3 years and no longer expect to. I don't believe that service really exists anymore.

I'm currently in same situation but also have asthma, held on all weekend as GP wasn't making appointments on Friday. Today tried to call as soon as they opened but they weren't letting people join the phone queue, message referred me to NHS 111, NHS111 sent me to A&E which is where I am at the moment, feeling very guilty because all I need is a GP prescription!

You might need to be able to hang on for quite a while. Last week I held for 64 minutes, no one answered just a constant recorded voice saying don't hang up if you do and ring back you will go to back of queue!!

Ludicrous!

Have you tried calling your gp? Apple if you have and I missed it but could be worth seeing of they can squeeze you in for an emergency apt. If not then yes I would call 111

Thanks @Spanglybangles the gp surgery has an automated message which says no appts (which will include phone consults as that's what the econsult generally triages) and to call 111.

@Bluerisotto its such a mess isn't it but what choice do you have if you can't get seen elsewhere? I hope you feel better soon.

im currently on hold. Put it off all morning to see if I felt any better but I have a random back pain near my shoulder blade today which I'm unsure about.

OP the shoulder blade thing was one symptom I had when I developed pneumonia after the flu so do stay on hold because you need to be seen. You probably need antibiotics if it's a chest infection/pneumonia

Definitely don't give up on 111 online if you have pain like that!!

Does your GP have an online consultation questionanire thing? Mine does, it referred me to 111/A&E but while I was at A&E the GP did call me offering a pharmacist appointment. I was almost halfway through the A&E process by then so stayed there. But basically they do monitor it and they called me.

Good luck and hope you get seen soon